BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Spa lacrosse has put itself in position to play in a second straight sectional final.
To do that the Scotties will have to take down Shenendehowa for the second straight time this season.
A couple weeks after taking down the Plainsmen for the first time in program history, the higher-seeded Scotties will get their chance to do it in the Section II Class A tournament at home today at 4:30 p.m.
“Coach [Jason] Gifford and I talked after last game,” said Ballston Spa head coach Joe Pollicino. “It’s going to be a game where both teams are going to bring everything they’ve got. Both teams, there’s kids who are friendly with each other off the field, but they know for those two hours or so on the field it’s going to be a great game back and forth.”
Pollicino noted that one key in the game will be to hold Shen under 10 goals. In the Scotties last 15 games, they have gone 13-2. The only time the purple and gold gave up more than 10 was a 12-8 loss to No. 1 state ranked Niskayuna on May 8.
The Shen win was 10-9.
Holding the Plainsmen (11-5) to under 10 goals is no easy task. Aside from the Ballston Spa game, it has only happened twice (Niskayuna and No. 22 ranked Lakeland-Panas from Section I).
In the season opener, the Scotties allowed 20 Shen goals.
“Coach Gifford does a great job of them playing team lacrosse,” Pollicino said. “All six guys on the offensive end are going to be dangerous; however, I think you have the knowns of Kyle Marr (44 goals, 42 assists), Pat Coll (52 goals, 21 assists) and Pete Sacks (35 goals). Those guys are all Suburban Council All-Stars. All three of them can score at any time. And they have guys who can step up. They’ve got a lot of weapons on that end.”
The Scotties’ defense didn’t have too much of a problem with Saratoga Springs in Tuesday’s quarterfinal, or during the season for that matter. In three games, the Scotties held the Blue Streaks to 17 total points.
Pollicino was more than pleased with the defensive effort, especially the straight up six-on-six matchups, that helped the Scotties to a 9-5 win.
“We played Saratoga last Thursday (May 15) too, and both games we held them in check for the most part,” Pollicino said. “I think we allowed one man-up goal, so overall the defense has done a tremendous job. And having Jon [Blake] in the backline to help when plays get broken down, he did a great job stopping the ball.”
Hoping to continue the hot stretch against a Shen team whose senior class has won two sectional titles in the last four years, Pollicino knows it will take another full team effort—an effort that has been there all season long.
“Shen has a lot of confidence and they’ve been to the mountain top before, and obviously we’re trying to get to that point,” Pollicino said. “I think we match their confidence now, obviously beating them that one time, but they’re going to have an added incentive and advantage in a sense. They’re going to have something to build off of because they blew that lead last time, and we’re just going to have to play consistently for four quarters to win that game…A key this year was we had a lot of guys step up who needed to at different times this year. That’s the sign of a true team. You can’t win with just your first 10. I think this year, top to bottom, different kids have stepped up at different times and that’s what got us on that roll this last part of the year.”
The winner of No. 2 Ballston Spa and No. 3 Shen will play the winner of No. 1 Niskayuna and No. 4 Shaker Tuesday at UAlbany in the championship game at 8 p.m.
